Bob Wins Survivor: Gabon

After 39 days, five consecutive challenge wins, two fake immunity idols, and one fire-building tiebreaker, Bob Crowley, the 57-year-old physics teacher from Portland, Maine, was crowned winner of Survivor: Gabon.

“I am overwhelmed. This is really going to bother Randy that I can’t think of a long story,” Crowley, who is the oldest winner in the history of the game, said when Jeff Probst inquired about his strategy at the live reunion show held in Los Angeles. “I just tried to play the game. My plan was to fly under the radar as long as I could, be necessary and be a nice guy so that liked me.”

He also acknowledged that his penchant for making realistic faux immunity idols didn’t hurt his chances either. His four votes beat the three votes received by hairdresser Susie Smith, 47. Jessica “Sugar” Kiper, a 29-year-old pin-up model, was given zero votes. The deciding vote was cast by Randy Bailey, who made his pro-Bob decision based on the infamous chocolate chip cookie clash he had with Susie.
Crowley had previously stated in the final tribal council that competing on Survivor was “one of the most exciting adventures of my life” and he admitted to adapting some of the challenges for use in his classroom and on tests. Unfortunately for his students, his triumph was not grounds for canceling Monday’s quiz. “I’ve gotten three text messages: ‘If you do well Mr. Crowley, do we have to take the test tomorrow?’ They do.” --Carrie Bell